Drop bottom bins



Aug. 1l, 1959 J. K. oLszEwsKl DROP BOTTOM BINS Filed Oct. 22. 195

/Nvmron J K. OLSZEWSK/ v am), M C/ Arroa/vfy United States Patent O i DROP BOTTOM BINS John K. Olszewski, Franklin Lakes, NJ., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N Y., a corporation of New York Application (lctober 22, '1956, Serial No. 617,527

1 Claim. (Cl. 214-317) This invention relates to drop bottom bins particularly those adapted to be transported and dumped by industrial trucks.

Drop bottom bins are used to a large extent in the manufacturing industry in that they may receive readily large quantities of materials or articles for transportation to other locations where the contents of the bins may be dumped. Frequently there is limited head room particularly when the bins are to be elevated sufficiently for the dumping of their contents into another receptacle. Attempts have been made to widen the outlet openings of the bins between the open bottoms of the bin bodies and the bottom members by causing movement thereof in opposite directions, but in these instances there are only two points supporting the bins, one where the bail of the body is connected to the hook of the mast of the industrial truck and the other at the outer edge of the fork engaging the bottom of the bin, resulting not only in considerable noise, after the contents leave the bin and the bin crashes back against the mast of the industrial truck, but also in damage to the truck and the bin.

The object of the present invention is a drop bottom bin adapted for maximum opening and with three point support to eliminate banging of bin against the industrial truck during dumping. l

In the present embodiment of the invention, the invention comprises a drop bottom .bin adapted to be transported and dumped by an industrial truck having a hook on a mast thereof and a fork element movable vertically relative tothe mast and having a vertical face, for abutment with ythehbin, and a horizontal supporti-ng portion. The bin inthe present instance includes a body having sides and ends with an open top and bottom and provided with a bail at a selected end for engagement with the hook. The bottom member of the bin is L-shaped in vertical section to support the body with the vertical portion of the bottom member pivotally connected to the selected end to cause the body to rock upwardly about the bail and hook connection as the bottom is allowed to rock downwardly during lowering of the fork element to increase the opening of the bin for discharging the contents therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an industrial truck illustrating in dotted lines the bin in position to be raised on the fork element of the truck and in solid lines the bin in dumping position;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the bin, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the hook and actuating means therefor.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the drop bottom bin indicated generally at includes a body 11 having parallel sides 12 and 14 and parallel ends 15 and 16. The body 10 is opened at the top and bottom, and a bail 17 is formed in the offset manner illustrated in Fig. 1 and xed to the end 15.

ice

A bottom member 20 is L-shaped in vertical section providing a normally horizontal portion 21 adapted to support the body 11 and close the open bottom thereof. A vertical portion 22 of the bottom member 20 normally extends parallel with the selected end 15 to a position some distance from the open bottom of the body 11 and short of the center of the end 15. A hinge 23 or any other suitable means pivotally connects the top of the vertical portion 22 to the end 15 of the body. Any suitable reinforcing means 24 may be fixed to the portion 21 of the bottom and may also function to guide a fork element 25 of an industrial truck 26 beneath the bin. Suitable legs 27 are provided for the bottom member 20 and side members 28 fixed to the horizontal portion 21 and the vertical portion 22 not only assist in guiding the contents of the bin -when being dumped but in reinforcing the lever-like structure of the L-shaped portion of the bottom member 20.

In the present instance, the industrial truck 26 selected to illustrate the invention includes a mast 30 carrying a hook 31 adapted for interengagement with the bail 17. In the present instance the hook 31 (Fig. 3) is iixedly mounted on a shaft 32, which is journalled in bearings 33 fixed to the mast 30. Through the aid of a lever 34 fixed to the shaft and a flexible cable 35 connecting the lever to a handle 36, the hook 31 may be moved from the solid line position to the dotted line position to move it between supporting position and the out-of-thefway position. The fork element 25 has a at vertical face 35 of sufficient widthV for abutting engagement with the vertical portion 22 of the bottom member 20 of the bin. The fork element also has the standard pair of horizontal supporting members 36 adapted to pass beneath the bottom member 20 of the bin when supported by the legs 27.

Considering now the function of the drop bottom bin, let it be assumed that the bin as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l is filled and is to be transported to another location and dumped. The operator of the industrial truck has moved the truck into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the supporting members 36 positioned beneath the bottom member 20 and the vertical face 35 disposed in engagement with the vertical portion 22 of the bottom member. The bin is elevated with the -fork element 25 and transported to the desired location where the bin is to be dumped. At this time, the fork element vmay be moved upwardly to move the bail 17 a predetermined distance above the hook 31 and then lowered a predetermined distance to bring about the dumping operation. During the lowering movement of the fork element, the bin is moved bodily downwardly until the bail 17 engages the hook and additional downward movement of the fork element to a predetermined position will allow the bottom member 2@ to rock downwardly about a line represented by the juncture of the horizontal portion 21 and the vertical portion 22 of the bottom member against the face 35 of the fork element. This action of the L-shaped bottom member rocking against the face 35 and through the pivotal connection of the hinge 33 with the vertical portion 22 and the side 15 causes the body 11 to rock upwardly about the bail and hook connection 17-31 to create a wider opening for the contents of the body to escape from the bin.

The particular L-shaped structure of the bottom member and its connection short of the open bottom of the body 11 and closely adjacent the center of the selected side 15 makes possible a wide outlet opening for the contents of the bin during the dumping operation, maintaining at all times a three point connection particularly the intermediate connection (l) between the end of the fork (2) and the bail and hook connection (3) to eliminate excess banging of the members of the bin back against the industrial truck after the escapement of the contents from the bin and to eliminate damage to the truck, damage to the bin and excess noise present in use of conventional drop bottom bins.

After the bin has been dumped, the fork element 25 may be moved upwardly a distance sufciently to close the bottom of the bin and to move the bin vertically a distance suicient to disengage the bail from the hook 31. At this time, the hook may be rocked out of the path of the bail so that when desired, the bin may be lowered to the dotted line position and the truck moved away therefrom.

During the operation of the truck in association with the bin, it is a natural function for the truck to be moved toward the bin until the surface 35 engages the vertical portion 22 of the bottom member 20. With the present bin structure, it is not necessary that extra long supporting portions 36 be provided as the extra length of these portions would not be needed and would be detrimental in performing the desired functions of the bin, that is, in providing what may be described as maximum opening of the bin during minimum movement of the fork element, the outer end of the fork element providing one of the points of support or contact with the bin during the dumping operation. Furthermore, the offset contour of the bail 17 further assures and assists in maintaining the central contact point, that is, the engagement of the bottom member 20 with the vertical surface 35 at all times to eliminate crashing of the bin against the truck during dumping.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles lof the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit `and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

The combination with an industrial truck having a hook pivotally mounted on a mast adjacent :a forward surface thereof, means actuable to move the hook into either a supporting position, where it extends forwardly a given distance away from the forward surface of the mast, or an out-of-the-way position closely adjacent the forward surface of the mast, and a fork movable vertically adjacent the forward surface of the mast and having parallel horizontal supporting portions with a predetermined space therebetween and a vertical face parallel with and disposed approximately said given distance from the forward surface of the mast, of a drop bottom bin having a body with sides and ends and open K of the lateral portion to support the bottom member in an elevated position for movement of the horizontal supporting portions of the fork therebeneath until the vertical face of the fork abuts the vertical portion of the bottom member, a bail xed to the selected end of the body adjacent the center of the top thereof and bent outwardly away from the body for engagement with the hook, when the hook is in its supporting position, pivotal means connecting the top edge of the vertical portion of the bottom member to the selected end of the body, and a guiding element extending longitudinally of the undersurface of the lateral portion of the bottom member, disposedcentrally thereof and secured thereto to guide the horizontal portions of the fork with respect to the body, to substantially lill the space therebetween to centrally position the bin on the fork to position the hook in general alignment with the bail so that when the hook is in its out-of-the-way position the fork may lift the bin until the bail is positioned above the hook, and after the hook is moved to the supporting position the fork may lower the bin for engagement of the bail and hook and for freeing the L-shaped bottom member to move about its pivotal means with the intermediate surface sliding on the vertical face and the smooth-surfaced lateral portion moving on the supporting portions of the fork to move the body outwardly away from the forward surface of the mast in an arc about the bail and hook connection to empty the bin, the element guiding the bottom member in opening and closing to maintain central balance of the bin as the element moves between the supporting portions of the fork, upward movement of the fork causing closing of the bin and disengagement of the bail and hook for movement of the hook into its out-of-the-way position to free the bail for lowering of the empty bin t0 rest on the legs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

